Could you please introduce yourself?
My name is Pauline Jacquard, I’m a decoration painter and a costume designer.
Could you introduce us to those pieces? Where do they come from? How old are they?
They are Swiss belts named “Appenzeller”. They are inspired by the suspenders of alpine pasture shepherds. The design has remained the same for some time from what I understand, it’s therefore quite difficult to date them, but these are probably from the 1980s. I have a great fascination for the mountains’ folklore, it reminds me of a novel by Thomas Mann…
My mother used to wear those belts when I was a little girl, so I started looking for the first one in flea markets. It was a black one and it was fun to mimic her. Then the leather started to crack. On the day I told myself it had become impossible to wear, I came by the brown one at a yard sale. I’ve been wearing the black one for 10 years and the brown one for 3 years.
Did they belong to someone else before you? Did you buy them for yourself? Why did you buy them? How did you find them?
Yes, I suppose, as I have found both second-hand. They seemed to be new when I got them, or at least very rarely worn.
Do you remember the first time you wore them?
I wore the black one on a high-waisted tobacco pair of trousers that I used to love to wear 10 years ago, probably with an Austrian jumper on top.
What are your memories of those pieces?
They remind me of my mother when I was a little girl... and they always travel with me, you have to remove them and put them back on to pass airport security, it’s a funny form of gymnastics!
Are there any signs of wear and tear?
Yes, a lot. I wear these belts both in winter and in summer, so the leather tends to crack!
Have you already repaired those pieces?
Yes, the black one is entirely consolidated on the back part. It was so damaged it didn’t stay in one piece. Unfortunately, this restoration was rather poorly made!
When do you usually wear them? Do you remember when you last wore them?
I wear them in the day with my high waisted trousers, and at night with 1950 shorts or with my painter’s apron so that it doesn’t drag in the paint! The brown one traveled to Haïti with me, I was there recently for a movie’s costume design.
